Racy's

November 20th, 2017 To Whom it may concern, (ID# 12498190) I would like to say right away that I am both disheartened and insulted that this customer is repeatedly calling me a liar, and saying that I treated his elderly neighbor with disrespect. I always treat my customers, many...

being senior citizens, with the utmost professional courtesy and respect, and am of course seeking to leave them satisfied with the completion of the project. When this customer first contacted me, he indicated that he needed me to re-do the beginnings of a fence project that a previous rude and unprofessional contractor had done incorrectly, and then walked away from – sound familiar? You may find another complaint on file about another contractor from this complainant around September/October 2017. There are so many misrepresentations in the customer’s complaint that I find it difficult to know where to start, but I will attempt to address them here. I originally stated that it would be a time and materials job that I expected to take 4 days, with just me doing the work. For two reasons I needed to condense the job to two days, beginning later. First, as I told the customer, by the time the work week approached, I needed a medical procedure on the Monday before the Tuesday that I was supposed to start. I had hoped to start that Tuesday, but the doctor did not want me doing strenuous work the day following the surgery. Also, unfortunately the weather that week was forecast for pouring rain the entire time, but rather than delay the project to better weather, I hired a second man to assist me so that we could complete the project on time. The customer indicated that he needed the fence done as quickly as possible to accommodate a dog, and I wanted to be sure he had a secure yard by the agreed-upon date. As far as the customer’s strange comments about the second worker and I not communicating, I really have no idea what that’s about. I have built many wood fences over the years, and I used the standard materials and techniques that I always use, with no previous problems. The customer doesn’t state in his letter exactly what his complaint regarding workmanship is, but I can say that this project presented several technical challenges. First, I was expected to connect to another neighbor’s existing fence posts and match that existing structure. Second, the terrain was sloped, which always presents the issue of how to adapt the fence to the terrain. Finally, there was vegetation blocking a section of the fence line, and of course there was the very inclement weather to work in. The customer also wanted me to provide a secure, attractive fence for the most affordable price. Another challenge to note here is the “triangulation” of trying to deal with both the customer and his neighbor across the fence line. The customer was the person who hired and paid me, but the neighbor was very involved in providing input as well, which was not necessarily consistent with that of the customer. Trying to keep everyone informed and on the same page proved to be quite difficult, especially in light of the customer’s apparent determination to be dissatisfied. This customer has dwelled heavily on his assertion that I left the project unfinished. Again, this misrepresents. I completed the primary fence project on time and under needed budget, leaving it secure for the dog. I told him, and the neighbor, that I could return at a later time to make adjustments November 20th, 2017 requested and complete the last section, on a time and materials basis, and did offer an appointment time when someone else cancelled. I again reminded him that I charge by the hour, and this additional work would probably take about 4 hours, with a charge of $200. To which he said he would find someone else to do the work. I did not make “mistakes” that needed to be corrected; I was going to be making changes to the way the fence adapted to the slope, per their request, so my normal time & material fee would apply. My suggested cost for the project was: $1,150. materials, $1600. labor & dump fees $175. I charged; $1402.50 labor & 117.89 dump fees While it is unfortunate that this customer is not satisfied, I feel comfortable that I did the work he requested at a fair price, and I am not prepared to make any refunds, per my explanation above. Please feel free to contact me with any clarifying questions. My email is [email protected] and my phone is 206-371-1116. Best regards, Ray H[redacted] Racy’s Handyman Service